The present invention relates to the filed of holders for containers and specifically to holders for beverage containers. Even more specifically it relates to such containers intended to be removably attached to the users belt, waistband, or other article of clothing.
With growing awareness of the need for people to remain hydrated during exercise, work, or other activity, especially when exposed to high temperatures, has come a need to carry water bottles or other containers. It should be possible to carry the bottle attached to the belt or other article of clothing to free the hands for use in the activity.
Various bottle holders have been developed including sacks or nets with a strap which can be hung around the user""s neck and pouches with a belt which can be worn around the waist. These devices are typically cumbersome and relatively expensive.
Where large numbers of people are gathered, it is often necessary to provide water, or other beverages, to these people to avoid dehydration. This is especially true where military operations, search and rescue operations, emergency assistance or aid operations, or similar inject a large number of people into a foreign environment in a relatively short period of time. These circumstances often require the rapid distribution of water to a large number of individuals who will then spread out across a large area. Each person requires their own readily accessible supply of water and may be constantly on the move, needing to carry the water with them. In many such circumstances it can be assumed that the bottle and carrier will likely be discarded or lost rather than being returned, suggesting that the carrier be relatively inexpensive.
There is a need for a holder for a water bottle or similar container which is small, light, unobtrusive, and relatively inexpensive. It should be easy to use, and readily adapt to various methods of attachment to the person, including hooking over a belt and ideally would also adapt to attachment to vehicles, toolboxes, or other items in the users environment.
The present invention is directed to a water bottle holder which attaches to the users belt and holds the bottle by closely holding the neck of the bottle.
According to the invention there is provided an upright portion intended to be inserted behind the user""s belt and a lateral projection which holds the bottle. A larger opening in the projection allows the neck of the bottle to be inserted. The bottle can then be moved laterally to a second opening which is sized to hold the bottle neck at a reduced diameter area to prevent vertical movement of the bottle by being too small to allow passage of the body of the bottle or the flanged portion of the neck near the cap. The passage between the two openings is sized to be slightly smaller than the area of the neck to be held, thus requiring at least a small amount of force to move the bottle between the openings.
According to an aspect of the invention the lateral projection may consist of two or three portions arranged at various angles to each other to enhance the insertion and/or retention of the bottle.
According to another aspect of the invention there may be provided a panel or projection on the outer end of the lateral projection which the user may grip, in combination with the bottle, allowing the user to squeeze them together in order to move the bottle through the passage to the smaller opening.
Further in accordance with the invention there may be a retention loop, made from either a stretchable or relatively rigid material which can be placed over the top of the bottle to hold it in place.
Still further in accordance with the invention, there may be a latch of various designs, which hold the bottle in position within the holder.
The advantages of such an apparatus are a holder which is small, light, easily used and inexpensive to manufacture. It may be distributed in large numbers, requiring little storage space, minimal expenditure, and no instruction as to how it is used, as its operation is readily apparent. It adapts readily to various methods of attachment both to the user and to items in the users environment. An additional benefit is that the inventive holder is relatively independent of the size of the bottle. A given configuration of the holder will retain a variety of bottle sizes as long as they have the same neck size.